Make sure you have a unique angle or story
There are a ton of books out there, so if you’re taking the time and effort to write a book you want to tell a story that hasn’t already been told. It will help with sales if you’re able to differentiate yourself from other writers.
Break your story down into manageable chunks
It can be overwhelming to think “Wow I need to write hundreds of pages for this book!” Rather than tackling the whole book at once and putting together one long outline for the entire thing, it makes more sense to break it down into chapters, then deal with one chapter at a time.
Not only will dividing your book into chapters make things easier on you, but it will also make your book a lot more consumable for readers.
Put together a realistic timeline and schedule
It’s easy to become overwhelmed if you’re not realistic about how long writing the book will take. So if it’s going to take two years to finish based on your schedule, there’s nothing wrong with that.
The best strategy is to actually be serious and commit to the process. This means dedicating time on your calendar to working on the book, then sticking to that schedule.
Consider using a ghostwriter
Not to be discouraging, but writing a book is not for everyone. So if you have a story that’s truly worth getting out there, but you keep getting stuck, there’s nothing wrong with hiring a ghostwriter to move the process along.
Being that this person is actually getting paid to work on the book will give him or her incentive to keep you on track. A ghostwriter can also give your book an outside voice, which can help you narrow in on the things that are really relevant.
Think about publishing and marketing in advance
Keeping in mind that you’re trying to avoid becoming overwhelmed by the book-writing process, it’s a good idea to think about publishing and marketing early on. There’s a lot that goes into publishing a book, especially if you’re self-publishing, so you want to get a head start.
If you’re working with an agent and a publishing house, they are going to have opinions on your book. You should expect that you’ll need to make revisions before your book is launched into the world, so the sooner you start this relationship the sooner your book can become a success.
Want more advice on writing and publishing a book? Reach out to us and we’d be glad to help.